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Refugee boat serves as altar in Cologne

The famous Cologne Cathedral got a special altar, a recovered refugee boat from Malta, for the feast of Corpus Christi. Outspoken Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki criticized Europeans for turning a blind eye to suffering.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, who is also archbishop of Cologne, made a statement during the Feast of Corpus Christi on Thursday as he stood at a refugee boat that survived the treacherous Mediterranean crossing to Europe. Woelki, one of the highest-ranking Catholics in Germany, used the occasion to criticize the ease with which Westerners dismissed the suffering of migrants to Europe who had fled war and poverty.

"Whoever lets people drown lets God drown," said Woelki in front of the famous Cologne Cathedral. He added that "to see those in need and help them is the task the Lord has given to us as Christians."

The cardinal stood in a seven-meter-long (23-foot-long) boat recovered in Malta as part of a wave of refugees that saw more than 1 million migrants arrive in Germany in 2015. According to Woelki, the UN refugee agency has recorded 3,327 refugee drowning deaths in the Mediterranean in the past year.

On Thursday, Italian authorities said a capsized boat of the coast of Libya left dozens dead.

Woelki has been outspoken about the treatment of refugees since the crisis began. The day before his Corpus Christi sermon, he criticized a deal between the EU and Ankara for the relocation of migrants back to Turkey. He called the deal, pushed for by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, "disgraceful."

Before leading the faithful in the traditional Corpus Christi procession, Woelki recalled the one made by Cologne's Catholics in 1945 as their city lay in ruin, and called it a warning to those gathered not to turn a blind eye this time just because the conflict was farther away. "God's love," he said, outlasted "all changes of history and human need."

es/sms (AFP, KNA)

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

The northern tower

Some 100 meters up in the air, a huge crane removes scaffolding from the northern tower of the impressive Cologne Cathedral. The 25-meter scaffolding that was taken off on Monday July 22, 2013 was put up some 10 years ago after a three-meter piece of stone had fallen from the tower. For that reason, all the iron and metal parts have been replaced with stainless steel.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Six hours instead of six months

If the scaffolding had been disassembled while still attached to the tower, the job would have taken six months. With this 750-ton crane, however, it was taken care of in just a few of hours - and also made for quite a spectacle for hundreds of passers-by.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Divine protection

"We are in God's hand," Michael Hauck, the cathedral's master builder, said as his workers attach the scaffolding to the crane. It could have turned into a dangerous undertaking for both the workers and the delicate pinnacles, had the wind blown a bit stronger.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Keeping it together

Michael Hauk took the position as the cathedral's master builder about a year ago. He is responsible for 60 craftsmen, including stonemasons, brick layers and stucco plasterers. "I can feel the Cologne Cathedral," Hauck said. He is responsible for its ever aging structure and is there to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Constantly under construction

Some part of the cathedral is always covered by scaffolding. There are not many people in Cologne who can actually remember the building completely exposed. "It's just normal," they say, and consider it a symbol for something that's beautiful - even though it hasn’t been finished.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

300-year freeze

The Cologne Cathedral is both young and old at the same time. Construction started at the beginning of the 13th century, but it came to a halt in 1510 when money was short. The cathedral was lacking towers for some 350 years, as shown in this picture from 1853. It was not until 1880 that the twin towers were erected. They were built according to original Gothic plans from 1248.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Scars of war

Cologne was almost completely destroyed in World War II. The cathedral was hit by at least 70 bombs, but managed to hold out surprisingly well. It took decades to repair the building, but a few scars are still evident. Some of the stained glass has only been replaced with frosted white glass.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Controversial glass

Renowned German artist Gerhard Richter created a stained glass window for the cathedral in 2007. Richter reinterpreted the 113-square-meter window in the southern transept that had been destroyed during the war. But not everyone in Cologne was happy about the modern piece of art.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Bird wars

Pigeons are one of the greatest dangers for the cathedral, since their feces damage the delicate sandstone. That's why the cathedral works have adopted a falcon that's responsible for taking care of the pigeons.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

The rival

For four years, the Cologne Cathedral could boast about being the tallest building in the world, measuring 157 meters. Then in 1884, Ulm finished the Gothic tower on its cathedral. At 161.5-meter, it's the world's tallest church tower, but had to wait 300 years for completion. The trick was to wait until the cathedral in Cologne was finished, so they could make sure it was taller.

Cologne Cathedral - the eternal construction site

Not the end of the world

Even though it's no longer the tallest cathedral, it's still the most beautiful one for people in Cologne. For 170 years, more than half of the construction costs have been paid by the city - through a foundation that's pushing for the next construction phase. That's important, because there's a saying here that the world will end once the Cologne Cathedral has been finished.